I Catch a Lot of Hate
Guess Who Bitches About My Medium Writing the Most?
I’ll Give You a Hint: It Ain’t Women
I do pretty well on Medium, in terms of how often my articles are read and the number of awesome, encouraging comments I receive. I’d venture to guess that 95% to 97% of the comments on my blogs are positive and amazing. I love seeing your awesome feedback and support.
Guess who leaves the shittiest, most ignorant, rude comments of that other 3% to 5%?
If your answer is “men”, ding ding ding! You’re a winner. You’re intelligent and perceptive. And I bet you’re a woman.
I kid, I kid. I adore everyone on my follower list, regardless of gender. I have so many awesome male writer friends here on Medium that I value and appreciate just as much as the women. Most of you are straight-up rock stars.
But for the ones who find the need to comment horribly narrow-minded, ignorant things occasionally: Stop, Fellas. I don’t want to hear it. Nobody here wants to read your ignorant bullshit.
I’m not sure why men seem to do this far more often than women do. If I’ve gotten about 100 nasty, rude, or negative comments in the time I’ve been on here, about 98 or 99 of them have been from men. Similar percentages to the mass shootings committed by men versus ones committed by women.
I find this interesting. What is it about being male that is inherently negative so often? Is it the inability to regulate and control one’s emotions? Do men feel the need to be right, constantly? To argue? To belittle someone’s writing and opinions?
Again, this is not to judge men as a gender poorly. If I reviewed the last 100 comments left by men on my writing, I’d say that 95% to 97% are positive, supportive, clever, or funny. But that goddamn other 3% to 5%.
I’ve said this one before:
Blessed is He who can disagree and keep scrolling.
Provencio 13:666
Notice that the verse says HE. Not SHE.
I’ve tried to further dissect and observe the type of person who’s leaving me the worst comments. Besides it being a man at least 19 times out of 20, it’s usually an older man. Rarely someone younger than 40.
Now I’m no spring chicken. At 49 years old, I’m realistically more than halfway toward my demise. Hell, I might even be 2/3 to 3/4 of the way there. But the fellas that leave me the worst, most ignorant comments almost always fit into this demographic:
Male, Caucasian, usually starting around age 50 to 55. Often older than 65 to 70. Conservatives almost exclusively, straight men far more than LGBTQ men, religious far more often than non. Some variation of Christianity, judging by the Bible verses they quote when they tell me I’m going to Hell.
That’s ok. I don’t mind it. I’ve been called some fairly fucked up, ignorant things before. I’m a big boy. I can handle a not-so-friendly back-and-forth when need be. I’ll banter with them over a few exchanges until I get bored or realize how much time I’m wasting when I could be writing.
Then it’s a block. When some tumbling dickweed you’ve never met can disappear with a push of a button, it’s not even a difficult choice for me. Next.
There will always be a next. Another person who is going to get their feelings hurt over MY beliefs. They think they’ll be able to change my views by leaving some hurtful, lengthy, rambling comment. It’s laughable.
Sometimes, I’ll get the dude who will type out a Unibomber-length manifesto as a comment, expecting me to read 10 minutes or more of his half-baked, unintelligent views, waiting for me to respond in anger.
I delete those within minutes of them being posted.
Nothing says, “I just wasted an hour of my life typing that lengthy, difficult, time-consuming opus sure to put J-Pro in his place.” quite like me deleting it as soon as I see it. Sometimes I don’t even block them, just to see if they whine and bitch that their comment has been deleted.
Sorry. I was taught that when the dog shits in the house, you get rid of it. (The shit, not the dog)
You don’t allow it to sit there, stinking. I don’t want to see your dumb comment. I don’t want to read it. I don’t want my friends and followers to read it. It’s time to take out the garbage, in those rare instances.
Don’t shit in my living room. Don’t look me in the eyes while you’re doing it. You hold that in until you leave. And I recommend you leave before trying me.
Men, I have zero patience for ignorance. Your unasked-for, negative opinion about my writing and my views means nothing. You’re welcome here if you’re cool. I’ll be your friend if you are supportive and kind.
Otherwise, hit the road and find someone else to attempt to rile up. I’m not the one you’ll be affecting. Bet on that.
Women, thank you for not making me have to type you out something similar. I shouldn’t have to spell this out to anyone. But I sure appreciate how statistically, you have far better manners than the men.
I never want to hear another man ever say again, “Women are too emotional for _________”. That’s a crock of shit. Men are usually far more out of control with their emotions than women are.
To my brothers who are awesome day in and day out, the 95% to 97% of you here on Medium: Thank you for being an example. I know most of you are solid citizens, secure in yourselves, and have nothing to prove by trying to start nonsense online.
Ok, I have to go lay out some wee-wee pads around my page. Just in case, thinking ahead. Be cool toward other writers, Fellas. WHO’S A GOOD BOY! &:^)
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